Shaky cam movie thread
#27
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Sometimes the Shaky Cam is appropriate while other times, it destroys the enjoyment of the film:
The Blair Witch Project - good for this type of film
The Bourne Supremecy - absolutely ruined the film and totally headache-inducing
The Bourne Ultimatum - absolutely ruined the film and totally headache-inducing
Children of Men - good for this type of film
Cloverfield - good for this type of film
The Counterfeiters - I watched this yesterday and I didn't notice any shaky cam.
Deja Vu - it's a Tony Scott film, it's expected for the camera to be wild.
Domino - it's a Tony Scott film, it's expected for the camera to be wild.
The Kingdom - good for this type of film
Man on Fire - it's a Tony Scott film, it's expected for the camera to be wild.
United 93 - good for this type of film.
I would also like to add that choppy slo-motion is right up there with Shaky Cam as being another form of annoying, headache-inducing filming. (smooth slo-mo is awesome, but choppy slo-mo is so amateurish and bad):
I know that Wong Kar Wai films use the choppy slo-mo a lot.
The Blair Witch Project - good for this type of film
The Bourne Supremecy - absolutely ruined the film and totally headache-inducing
The Bourne Ultimatum - absolutely ruined the film and totally headache-inducing
Children of Men - good for this type of film
Cloverfield - good for this type of film
The Counterfeiters - I watched this yesterday and I didn't notice any shaky cam.
Deja Vu - it's a Tony Scott film, it's expected for the camera to be wild.
Domino - it's a Tony Scott film, it's expected for the camera to be wild.
The Kingdom - good for this type of film
Man on Fire - it's a Tony Scott film, it's expected for the camera to be wild.
United 93 - good for this type of film.
I would also like to add that choppy slo-motion is right up there with Shaky Cam as being another form of annoying, headache-inducing filming. (smooth slo-mo is awesome, but choppy slo-mo is so amateurish and bad):
I know that Wong Kar Wai films use the choppy slo-mo a lot.
#28
Thread Starter
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Originally Posted by toddly6666
The Counterfeiters - I watched this yesterday and I didn't notice any shaky cam.
#32
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God, you are missing out on some outstanding movies.
In The Bourne Ultimatum, a stuntman actually jumped with a camera following another stuntman...one of the coolest shots I've ever seen, and I'm a former photojournalist/videographer who never goes anywhere without my tripod.
I think this stuff works fine in a lot of movies.
In The Bourne Ultimatum, a stuntman actually jumped with a camera following another stuntman...one of the coolest shots I've ever seen, and I'm a former photojournalist/videographer who never goes anywhere without my tripod.
I think this stuff works fine in a lot of movies.
Last edited by Draven; 08-18-08 at 02:56 PM.
#33
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As I recall, NYPD Blue was a shaky cam pioneer on television. I remember it being specifically mentioned on shows like Entertainment Tonight. The shake seemed incredibly distracting to me when I first saw it. It felt strange to have the camera jerking around during, say, a calm discussion around a desk. It was supposed to generate tension but it looked more like something terrible was happening to the camera man.
Now I'm conditioned to only notice extreme shake. I agree that it can get unpleasant, however I think it can be a good thing when used properly.
Now I'm conditioned to only notice extreme shake. I agree that it can get unpleasant, however I think it can be a good thing when used properly.
#34
Thread Starter
DVD Talk Special Edition
God, you are missing out on some outstanding movies.
In The Bourne Ultimatum, a stuntman actually jumped with a camera following another stuntman...one of the coolest shots I've ever seen, and I'm a former photojournalist/videographer who never goes anywhere without my tripod.
I think this stuff works fine in a lot of movies.
In The Bourne Ultimatum, a stuntman actually jumped with a camera following another stuntman...one of the coolest shots I've ever seen, and I'm a former photojournalist/videographer who never goes anywhere without my tripod.
I think this stuff works fine in a lot of movies.
#35
DVD Talk Hero
The thing with Domino and Man on Fire... In the end, I think they both worked.
#38
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#39
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As I recall, NYPD Blue was a shaky cam pioneer on television. I remember it being specifically mentioned on shows like Entertainment Tonight. The shake seemed incredibly distracting to me when I first saw it. It felt strange to have the camera jerking around during, say, a calm discussion around a desk. It was supposed to generate tension but it looked more like something terrible was happening to the camera man.
Now I'm conditioned to only notice extreme shake. I agree that it can get unpleasant, however I think it can be a good thing when used properly.
Now I'm conditioned to only notice extreme shake. I agree that it can get unpleasant, however I think it can be a good thing when used properly.
#40
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From: Hot Springs, AR
I usually don't mind the shaky cam or notice it for that matter.
But the one movie where it really bothered me was "Ocean's Twelve".
It was almost like Soderbergh was using it just because. It didn't add to the movie at all.
One of the few times I noticed it and was like, "Dude, what are you doing?"
But the one movie where it really bothered me was "Ocean's Twelve".
It was almost like Soderbergh was using it just because. It didn't add to the movie at all.
One of the few times I noticed it and was like, "Dude, what are you doing?"
#43
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From: 75 clicks above the Do Lung bridge...
Fantastic film making both of them.
Tony Scott, in each of those cases, was moving films forward in a meaningful way, not just change for the sake of change as can happen in artistic/creative enterprises.
Most people resist new things. It's always been that way.
#44
Member
QoS is more of a quick-cut movie than a shaky cam movie, but maybe I'm so used to it now that I've become desensitized. Lucky me.
#48
DVD Talk Hero
Though neither bothered me one bit (in fact I feel it adds to the experience in these two particular cases) the series Firefly and the motion picture followup Serenity both employ plenty of shaky cam.
#49
DVD Talk Hero
Slumdog Millionaire has a mix of shakey cam and Tony Scott-style visual editing (which is not something I usually associate with Danny Boyle).
#50
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Shaky cam movie thread
Add District 9 to the list. Before I saw it, I read reviews and blurbs saying it was shot "documentary style" which is usually code for "epileptic cameraman off of his meds" and I was expecting the worst. But it turns out that the film actually uses a documentary conceit and, IMO, the camera was excessively shaky in only a handful of scenes.



